For refugee doctors, the journey to restarting a medical career in the UK is long, expensive and arduous.
Breaking Barriers is proud to have received support from BMA Giving to help forcibly displaced healthcare workers as they jump over the many critical hurdles to re-accreditation. These hurdles include passing language and re-accreditation exams required for General Medical Council (GMC) registration, securing clinical placements to gain necessary NHS experience, and accessing employability support to navigate the job market and obtain roles that match their skills and experience.
The BMA Giving grant helps to fund our Language and Re-accreditation Programmes, which guide and support refugee professionals throughout their requalification journeys, alongside wider support to help them progress through each of these stages.
Here, Rafael’s* story illustrates what this journey can look like for a doctor and why accessing the right support is so essential.
Rafael’s story
I qualified in medicine in the early 2000s and built a career across clinical work, research and teaching. I also worked in places affected by humanitarian crises and conflict, which shaped my approach to care and reminded me how important dignity, teamwork and clear communication are.
I was drawn to medicine because it combines direct service to people with the opportunity to contribute to big social changes by improving the quality of care as well as applying clinical research. I also grew up around hospital life and saw the work ethic and commitment my parents brought to their roles.
Seeking sanctuary
I came to the UK after years of political harassment and hostility in my country of origin. After a long period of uncertainty, the UK offered me sanctuary and gave me the opportunity to live and work in the country, temporarily.
Since being granted refugee status, I have worked in administrative and laboratory roles in the NHS. I also experienced the COVID pandemic in the UK and saw the need for healthcare professionals soar exponentially, increasing the level of burnout of people working on the front line.
Today, although the impact of COVID has subsided, the critical need for healthcare professionals persists. So, the UK seems like the right place to rebuild and contribute my skills.
I have faced challenges finding meaningful roles while waiting for full registration, and keeping up with exam bookings, timelines and change of guidance. Meanwhile, adjusting to a new culture without an established community can also be isolating, but you build and grow from every experience regardless of the negatives. For instance, I have personally experienced racial abuse in public spaces, but rather than dwelling on it, I also acknowledge that these events have taught me resilience and forgiveness.
Rafael
Facing challenges head on
I decided fairly early on to requalify as a doctor. However, my re-accreditation trajectory has not been a straight line. I faced personal challenges that slowed my pace at times, and I also completed a postgraduate degree. I’ve also found it challenging to find meaningful roles while waiting for full registration, and keep up with exam bookings, timelines and changes of guidance. But, overall, I’ve made progress throughout.
Meanwhile, adjusting to a new culture without an established community can be isolating, but you build and grow from every experience. For instance, I have experienced racial abuse in public spaces but, rather than dwelling on it, I acknowledge that these events have taught me resilience and forgiveness.
I also care deeply about neurodiversity and accessibility, especially since being recently diagnosed with autism. I believe there is still more to do to improve awareness and reduce stigmatisation, in workplaces and society in general. Even so, when setbacks have happened, will-power and determination have allowed me to move forward.
Support from Breaking Barriers
I came across the Language and Re-accreditation programmes [then part of RefuAid] through an article about a doctor who had requalified and was working in Scotland. He spoke with real gratitude about the programme, so I emailed them the next day. The follow-up calls and regular emails made a big difference because it gave me structure and a sense that I wasn’t doing everything alone.
I’ve had support with English assessment and preparation for professional language exams, and I’ve taken part in events with partners such as the General Medical Council [GMC] and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust, which helped me understand the NHS job market.
For me the OET [Occupational English Test] course was a turning point because it was built around healthcare scenarios. The learning felt practical and motivating, which helped me stay focused and made returning to clinical practice feel more achievable.
The OET course also supported later stages of the requalification process – strengthening skills like attentive listening, empathetic delivery and efficient scanning of information to aid accurate diagnosis. All of which are essential when taking the PLAB exams required for GMC registration.
The speaking roleplays also helped me practise how to recognise what a patient is feeling and to become more comfortable with the language needed for difficult conversations, including breaking bad news in a supportive way. Also, the one-to-one feedback from language tutors helped me to understand how my tone and phrasing might be received by patients and colleagues. Overall, the Language Programme, especially the one-to-one sessions, increased my confidence in professional communication, which is fundamental for exams, job interviews and most importantly, safe patient care.
Breaking Barriers has been a steady presence. Their advice helped me plan the next step whenever I felt stuck or uncertain. They are also a great example of what teamwork and valuable collaboration can achieve when people from different backgrounds work together for a common goal. Despite being a labour of many, there are some specific names that always come to mind, such as Madiha and Ilaria from the Language Programme, and Bex from the Re-accreditation team. Your dedication and perseverance have not gone unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for your decision of walking beside me during the most challenging times of my journey in this country.
There are still instances where people hear the word “refugee” before the word “doctor”, so there is still much to discuss around sensitive topics such as inclusion and stigmatisation. But refugee doctors are not here to take anything away from anybody, quite opposite, we are here to give and to contribute to making healthcare services more robust and resilient.
Rafael
Returning to my professional purpose
I’m currently working towards completing my GMC registration and continuing to build UK-based experience.
Working as a doctor again would mean returning to my professional purpose. There is a unique sense of meaning in helping someone through fear, pain or uncertainty. It’s also the small moments that count, like a patient relaxing because they feel heard, or a family understanding a treatment plan because it was explained clearly. Having faced health challenges myself, I know how small gestures positively impact medical outcomes.
Refugee doctors arrive after conflict, persecution or unsafe circumstances, and rebuilding a life while dealing with trauma and loss takes time. Many of us are ready to contribute, but without supervised opportunities our clinical skills can feel like they are on pause, which is tough, especially since services are under pressure.
There are still instances where people hear the word “refugee” before the word “doctor”, so there is still much to discuss around sensitive topics such as inclusion and stigmatisation. But refugee doctors are not here to take anything away from anybody. Quite opposite, we are here to give and to contribute to making healthcare services more robust and resilient.
